Fridley+Public+Schools

=CHANGE OUR WORLD=

PROJECT DETAILS
//Title: Change our World Project// //Collaborators: Jennifer Carlson & Kathy Kraemer,// //School and District: Fridley Public Schools, Fridley Middle School// //Content Providers: Nick Buettner (Homeless World Cup), Greta Sebold (Fill a Mind and Heart organization), Tom Hoffman (Extending the Link), Tom Johnson (GoodSports International)// //Grade level: 7th Grade// //Subject Areas: Humanities (World Studies)// //Recommended Time Frame: 5 weeks//

MN State Standards Alignment
Social Studies
 * VI. Economics
 * D. International Economic Relationships
 * Students will examine the purpose and evaluate the effectiveness of U.S. economic aid to developing countries.

B. Concepts
 * VII. Government and Citizenship
 * D. Governmental Processes and Institutions
 * Students will explain and evaluate international organizations and international law and how participation in these organizations and international law is voluntary.
 * Students will explain the effects of developments in other nations on state and community life in Minnesota, and explain the role of individuals in world affairs.
 * IB MYP Objectives**
 * Global Awareness: recognize issues of equity, justice and responsibility
 * Global Awareness: explore issues facing the international community
 * Global Awareness: know when and how to take responsible action where relevant.

C. Skills
 * Technical Skills: use a variety of media and technologies to research, select, interpret and communicate data.

BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND
//What are the big ideas for your project?// Summarize the theme for this project and identify the content standards and key skills you will assess. Identify the habits of mind students will practice and any district or school-wide outcomes included in this project. The project should meet the criteria for standards-focused PBL.

The theme for this project is looking at solving global issues through small amounts of money and individual actions. Students (and adults) often think that global issues will only be solved with millions of dollars and large government interventions. This theme came through our focus as an IB school on Community & Service - helping students understand that responsible global citizenship doesn't have to be grand, life-changing decisions, just small everyday decisions on what to do with our time and money. The key skills we are asking students to learn (and which we will be assessing) are use of technology in many ways (research and presentation), critical thinking about their world issue, and the ability to communicate and defend their world issue proposals. Because we are an IB World school, we use the IB Learner profile to define the habits of mind we ask of our IB students. In this project, we ask students to be open-minded, inquirers, and caring.

**CRAFT THE DRIVING QUESTION**
//What is the significant question that will drive this project?// State the essential question or problem statement and any subquestions relevant to this project. The problem statement should encompass all project content and outcomes, and provide a central focus for student inquiry. The driving question should engage students in authentic problem solving and require core subject knowledge to solve or answer.


 * How can small actions (or amounts of money) change the world?**

PLAN THE ASSESSMENT
//What are the products and artifacts for this project?// Define products and artifacts early in the project, during the project, and at the end of the project. Include criteria for assessment with each product. Products and artifacts should align with the standards and outcomes for the project.


 * Pre-project teaching**: Throughout the year, students are exposed to discussions and debates on various world issues as we study Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Prior to starting the project, students will engage in a series of lessons on the largest of global issues in each area study - AIDS in Africa, Refugees in the Middle East, Lack of free speech in parts of Asia, and environmental issues in South America. Just before the project begins students participate in a short series of lessons on microlending and the impact microlending has made on areas of great poverty. Using the free video from izzit.org (also found on YouTube - Pennies a Day Video) called "Pennies a Day," students are introduced to the concept of microlending and become familiar with the work of Mohamed Yunus (2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner). Students are also asked to write about what they would do with a small amount of money, then compare their thoughts to what that amount of money might do in the hands of an entrepreneur in a developing nation. Students are also asked to read several news articles about Kiva.org, and the work that the Grameen Bank is doing in Bangladesh.

Their blogs are to be written in three sections: In addition, students in each of my classes had an opportunity to videoconference via SKYPE with an individual who is currently working with a non-profit organization and embodied the main idea of the project: Small actions can change the world. Through these videoconferences, students were able to ask questions about the inspiration for the individual’s work in the world, and how they saw small actions changing the world.
 * During the Project**: Students will create an online blog on a world issue of their using choice, using a NING network created for this project: [|Fridley Change our World Blog] The blog centers on the driving question - how can small actions or amounts of money change the world? Students complete their blog in three sections:
 * 1) Describe the issue (history of the issue, current statistics, geography of your issue, personal stories of those affected)
 * 2) Who in the world is doing good in this issue? –Highlight current non-profit organizations, NGOs, or individuals who are already in field making a difference. Students gave their evaluation of each organization.
 * 3) Ideas and Advice – Students could write about their own ideas for a non-profit organization helping with their chosen issue, or students could choose to give advice to people who wanted to help but had a small amount of money.

__Videoconference presenters:__
 * Nick Buettner – Homeless World Cup, Maya Quest – working with the poor in Guatemala
 * Greta Sebold – Fill a Mind and Heart Organization – working with schools in Ethiopia
 * Tom Hoffman & Emily Bina – Extending the Link – documentaries about global issues
 * Tom Johnson – GoodSports International Slovakia – baseball & softball clinics to keep kids off the streets of Slovakia

After students are done with their own blog, they take advantage of the online collaborative environment provided by NING (or Moodle, or other collaborative blogging platforms), and participate in a feedback loop with other students. The feedback looping process asks students to read other students' blogs and comment or give constructive advice on the writing (not the ideas or opinions themselves). Upon hearing back from others, students have a chance to revise their work and republish.
 * Post-project**:

MAP THE PROJECT
//How will the project be organized?// Look at one major product for the project and analyze the tasks necessary to produce a high-quality product. Summarize what students will need to know, how, and when they will learn the necessary knowledge and skills to be able to complete the tasks successfully. List the project tools that you will use. Products and tasks should give all students the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.

Change our World Blogging Project For logging in to NING, all students needed a student email account for sending the invitation to join the NING. Once students were into their email accounts, they were able to access the NING website and join from there. Section 1 : Students first need to understand their world issue. The will need to persue resources that give them current information about their issue - cultural, geographical, numerical statistics, etc. Students will also need to look for a personal story that helps the readers understand the personal impact of their issue (teaching students that large issues affect real people - real stories). Students will also need lessons in "What is a blog?" and how to add links, photos, video, etc. Section 2: For this section, students need to research the current organizations that are already working to create positive change in their issue. Students will need to know what a non-profit organization is (as well as an NGO), as well as how to recognize these entities on a website. Students will also need to understand the skill of analyzing each organization for its effectiveness. Section 3: Finally, students propose their own ideas for how to help their issue in small ways - either through proposing their idea for a non-profit organization or giving advice to someone who had a small amount of money to donate or invest toward the issue. Students will need to understand the idea of what a non-profit organization does and work on being detailed in their writing about what their proposed organization would do.

MANAGE THE PROCESS
//How will you manage and facilitate this project?// List preparations necessary to address needs for differentiated instruction for ESL students, special-needs students, or students with diverse learning styles. Summarize how you and your students will reflect on and evaluate this project. Facilitation should incorporate collaborative and student-centered activities.

At its core, this product was differentiated in several ways. One method of differentiation was content-based - students were able to choose their own world issue about which to blog. Differentiation for this project also took the form of shortened blog entries for ELL and special education students. They were asked to write about the same questions as the rest of the students, just in a shortened format. Also, I had other students (volunteers) work with these students in a peer-editing loop, which helped the ELL and special education students become more confident in their writing. Students reflected on the project through an email that I sent students through the NING website. They were asked to reflect on what worked in this project, and what didn't. They were asked if they truly felt like they understood the driving question "How can small actions change the world?" Finally, they were asked how the technology (NING blogging environement and videoconferencing) impacted the project.

=PROJECT RESOURCES=

Documents
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Media Files
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Web Resources
Fridley Change our World Project Blog Website

Fill a Mind and Heart Organization [|www.mindandheart.org]

Extending the Link - Student-made documentaries on Global Issues []

Homeless World Cup []

Buck Institute for Education [|http;//www.bie.org]